Scrapbooking and photographing sweet treats and good eats in and around Toronto, bite by bite

Tag Archives: seitan

It’s about time Hogtown Vegan made its appearance here! I’ve been to Hogtown Vegan a few times since its official opening back in July (I know, I know, what in the world has taken me THIS long to dish out the goods?!) and I’ve been itching to post my photos and my foodie experiences for ages now. I think you all instinctively know the reason why I haven’t written about them. It’s the reason for all my “delayed” posts. That’s right, I have a scrapbook layout in the works and I won’t be able to post photos of the layout until my second Hogtown Vegan post. Sigh. At least you all know there will be a follow-up to this delightful vegan diner of food heaven! And I’m not even making up those words. They come straight from my friends and other Hogtown Veganites who have proclaimed food ecstacy while eating here. It’s barely half a year old and it has taken the city, vegetarian and vegan community, and even meat-eating carnis, by storm.

Hogtown Vegan is the sister restaurant of Kensington Market’s Hot Beans Vegan. While Hot Beans Vegan serves up vegan Mexican fare in the form of tacos, burritos, nachos, and burrito bowls, Hogtown Vegan takes care of the classic North American diner favourites, nailing comfort foods with a vegan punch. The name of the establishment is incredibly tongue-in-cheek as it refers to Toronto’s long-standing history as a meat-packing and manfacturing hubbub during the industrial boom. Thus, the vegan restaurant not only pays homage to its distinct location (you clearly know you’re in the T-dot!), but it also subverts meat and animal eating and turns it on its own head by providing meat and dairy classics without the meat and dairy.

Hogtown Vegan is a vegan diner through and through, churning out beloved diner favourites such as biscuits and gravy, chicken and waffles, mac n’ cheese, po’ boys, and reubens, sans the meat and dairy and with a tip of the hat to Southern style cooking and cuisine. It’s what I call “naughty vegan food”, food that’s meant to be indulgent. Their menu boasts appetizers: fries smothered in vegan cheese and cashew sour cream, baked vegan mac n’ cheese with bread crumbs, tofu wings with hot sauce and creamy dill dip; salads: chickpea salad, tortilla salad; sandwiches and burgers: TVP po’ boys, seitan reubens, sweet potato on rye, soy patty burgers with Daiya cheese; and mains: biscuit veggie sausage sliders with fries and gravy, and unchicken and waffles which is comprised of deep-fried soy cutlets sandwiched between waffles and dripping in maple butter.